DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE

This is where you discuss the conditions of your crabitat -- temperature, humidity, substrate, decorating, etc.

Guest

Re: hi

Post by Guest » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:59 pm

blaze88 wrote:I would only have the Zoea in the tank, so ammonia probably won't be a big issue. I was planning to use my beta dish I bought my beta in and taking that much water out a day. I would be able to examine for babies in the water because the cup is clear.
I was thinking that the adult hermit crab wastes breaking down could possibly leach into the water.

It can always be monitored with a reagent-based test kit, just to be safe.
However many major aquariums use instant ocean, including the Mall of America Aquarium.
I edited my post above to reflect a new series of articles I found tonight that IMO are better done than the research in the original link.
I guess Catalina Water Company is the way to go for me. Darn, this is getting pricey. The problem is that I still have that bag of IO. I guess I will do a mix of real and IO.
You may be able to stick with IO. Perhaps you could do a control test with a set amount of zoea and see which do better with the different water?

What are you going to mix your marine mix with, dechlorinated tap water or RO/DI?


Willow

Post by Willow » Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:55 pm

Zoea will make ammonia, same as any creature that eats, they must also excrete wastes. I'd recommend getting a sponge filter and populating it with ammonia-eating bacteria (you can do this by keeping it in an established fish tank until you need it for the zoea). Sponge filters are used by fish breeders, as they won't harm the fry. As for food, there are a few commercial fry-rearing foods available, or maybe fresh-hatched baby brine shrimp will work.

I wouldn't use IO, considering the high metal content, but you may not need to go all the way with Real Ocean (which, BTW, is now made by "Aquatic Gardens" and not Catalina anymore). There are a lot of quality marine mixes available, Tropic Marin or Red Sea should do nicely.

I have also considered giving breeding a try, but I don't have the time right now, plus I've never even seen a female with eggs. Do you plan to just try to find a gravid female, or are you going to try to make a hermie "love shack" to entice your hermies to breed? Either way, I wish you success!


Guest

Post by Guest » Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:22 pm

Willow wrote:I wouldn't use IO, considering the high metal content, but you may not need to go all the way with Real Ocean (which, BTW, is now made by "Aquatic Gardens" and not Catalina anymore). There are a lot of quality marine mixes available, Tropic Marin or Red Sea should do nicely.
Instant Ocean is not as high in metals as the study I linked to before suggests.

It is high in titanium and aluminum, but is essentially comparible with other marine mixes otherwise.

Source:

Inland Reef Aquaria Salt Study
Mathew Marulla, Thomas O'Toole
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine


Part I: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/11/aafeature1
Part II: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/12/aafeature1

In the end of it all, nothing really compares with real sea water, but that can be contaminated or less than ideal, depending on where it is collected.
Zoea will make ammonia, same as any creature that eats, they must also excrete wastes. I'd recommend getting a sponge filter and populating it with ammonia-eating bacteria (you can do this by keeping it in an established fish tank until you need it for the zoea).
The tank can also be cycled with marine Bio-Spira.

The sponge filter must be placed in a marine aquarium; freshwater and marine nitrification bacteria are different and will die if not in the proper salinities.

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blaze88
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hi

Post by blaze88 » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:56 pm

I honestly don't think zoea will make a huge ammonia difference. They will be separated into another tank so adult crab waist will not come in contact with them. Besides the zoea, in stage one can't move on their own so if circulation is not set up correctly they will get sucked up and die, or not move enough and not be able to get food and die.

Also I was going for a hermit "love shack" thus the really nice set up. lol.


I am going 2 mix my IO with real ocean water. That way I save money, have less contaminated water and have traces of important mettles not in IO.

What is RO/DI? Is dechlor tap ok to use?

Nobody ever replied if a wave maker is needed for the main tank.
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hi

Post by blaze88 » Sat Feb 24, 2007 11:13 pm

Just bumping, I still have questions...
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Guest

Post by Guest » Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:22 pm

Wow! Sounds like a neat project :D We're all wishing you lots of luck! Make sure you post lots of pictures once its all set up! I'd love to see how everything works :D

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hi

Post by blaze88 » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:49 am

Ok I will be sure to.
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Post by Guest » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:22 am

What size crabs are you going to use? I just wonder how old they need to be to be of breeding age... and what size that would be.

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hi

Post by blaze88 » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:36 pm

Mediums
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Re: DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE

Post by burnin4Christ » Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:11 pm

[quote="blaze88"]I have decided to be crazy.[quote]

good luck! :D hope we see some cute baby pics!


Guest

Post by Guest » Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:24 pm

:shock: AWESOME!! Good luck to you! btw, what would you feed the zoea?

Also, you would probably want a current maker because...well.... they have waves in the ocean and that may be what they rely on to bring them food and help them move. I'm not entirely sure so you should check with someone else too.

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hi

Post by blaze88 » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:46 pm

The zoea would not be with the wave maker.

you feed them brine shrimp and algae.
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Post by Guest » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:51 pm

Featherscrabs wrote:What size crabs are you going to use? I just wonder how old they need to be to be of breeding age... and what size that would be.
that's a really good point. there might be a certain age that they begin even being capable of reproducing. it's a little hard to tell sometimes exactly how old they are, so that could be tough if there is a certain point in their lives that they have to get to before they can.

i would have to agree that even with the zoea, what goes in must come out. there is going to be quite a bit of waste build up even with them. wouldn't they get sucked into a filter?

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Post by blaze88 » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:49 pm

nicaha wrote: that's a really good point. there might be a certain age that they begin even being capable of reproducing. it's a little hard to tell sometimes exactly how old they are, so that could be tough if there is a certain point in their lives that they have to get to before they can.

i would have to agree that even with the zoea, what goes in must come out. there is going to be quite a bit of waste build up even with them. wouldn't they get sucked into a filter?
Crabs can breed after 2 years as I understand it. Mediums are about two years old.

The waist build of zoea would be so small because they are so small if really wouldn't matter. Also I am using under gravel filters for two of the tanks and for the third I an only using a bubbler.
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Post by blaze88 » Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:09 pm

bump
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